Toy railway.



R. A. DORRILL.

TOY RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1915.

Patented June 8, 1915.

ru f

W/ TNESSES:

' 3031mm, A. inoimrrr, or NEWARK; NEW' JERSEY.

. TOY RAIL A tion. 7

The objects of this invention are to pro-i vide-an-improved toy-railway upon which a vehicle 'may be 'caused to -run continu ouslyby gravity; to provide an elongated track adaptedto be tilted longitudinally to provide a fulcrum 'nearerone-end-of the track-than the other-;- to provide such atrack which may be separated "into a* plurality of sections; to rigidly connect the -sections when in use;to prevent'inadvertent separation of the sections; to secure simplicity of construction and operation, obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in'the-following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in'whichlike' numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved toy railway; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Figs. 3 andv 4 are perspective views of v the meeting ends of the track sections.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in said drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a continuous track elongated to provide substantially parallel portions 2, 2 connected at their ends by semi-circular portions 3, 3. Suitable fulorums 4, 4 are provided, in a line transverse to the longitudinal portions 2, 2, upon which the track is adapted to tilt so as to elevate 0116 end and lower the other and vice versa,

alternately. It will be obvious" that a vehicle or other toy upon the track will have a tendency to gravitate thereon while the track is tilted in one direction, and the longitudinal portion affords a suiiiciently long run for the vehicle to obtain momentum enough to carry it more than halfway around the semi-circular portion-3. Then the track is tilted in the other direction and the vehicle continues to run down the incline and around the curve at the end, when the track is again tilted and so on.

Preferably the semi-circular or curved portions of the track are transversely tilted, that is, the outside rail is elevated above the horizontal plane of the inner rail. This f Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented June8, 1915.

" ApplicationfiIrHMaTchIS, 191'5.'Seria1 No; 15,367.

prevents the -vehicle or other *toy" from derailment by centrifugal force, as is common in railway engineering, and also makes the ends of thetrack upturned asshown inFig. 1 so that'the track can tilt farther. Furthermore, itis'preferable to Inaintatin one end of the track normally depressed, so that when not otherwise positively heldit will remain in 'or automatically return to'*its de-' pressed position, andthusgin operation itis necessary todepress-"only-one"end" of -the track and =when the' vehicle or othertoy arrives at that end letgoof-the track and the other end will immediately depress without further attention- I obtain this result in the present a disclosure by placing the fulcrums closer to-one end than to'the other, the'differencein weightof. the track of the longer end "over the w'ei ght "of the track of *the shorter end, and the vehicle being sufficient to secure the desired result.

For moreponvenient manipulation of 1 the device I have shown at the shorter end a handle orlm'ob 5.

"Forconvenience in constructing and packing the device, the track is divided into sections preferably separable at the fulcrumal' joints, and also separable at the middle of the curved portions, although it is within the scope of the present invention to separate the track in other places and make as many sections as desired. The specific means herein shown for connecting the sections comprises opposite telescopic members 6, 7, rigid with respect to the abutting ends of the tracks, said members being substantially as wide as the track and rectangular in cross-section. Preferably one of these members, as the outer one 6, provides in its top a recess 8, and the other member 7 has a spring detent 9 bent up from its top adapted to cooperatewith said recess to prevent inadvertent separation of the members. In order that the detent may not interfere with telescoping the members into assembled position, the detent slopes longitudinally from the outer or free end of the member from which it is bent toward the farther end and will be depressed as the member is slid into the other member until it registers with the recess 8 therein and springs into the same. Obviously to separate the members the detent may be readily depressed with the finger and the members drawn apart. In the construction of my device, I prefer to make the members 6, 7 wide enough to underlie' both rails, and furthermore attach the rails rigidly thereto. Added rigidity is obtained by providing pins or dowels 10,110, projecting from the rails in one section and adapted to be inserted in corresponding holes in the rails of the other section.

I The fulcrums 4 are preferably secured to' atthe bottom and extending transversely of the track, said edges of the two fulcrums being substantially in alinement, so that the track will tilt evenly. It will beunderstood that the fulcrums extend below the track so that thin sharpened edges may rest upon a plane surface and rock thereon.

Obviously detail mod'fications may be made in manufacturing my improved tilting track without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood .as limitingmyself except as required by the following claims when:

construed in the light of the prior. art. I

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The hereindescribed toy railway, comprising a continuous track and a transverse fulcrum through said tracl: nearer one end thereof than" the other. 7

2. The hereindescribed toy railway, coming them detachably-together, and fulcrums upon two of said coeperating members near the middle of the track for "said track to, tilt upon. 7 y P 5. The hereindescribed toy railway, comprising sections, coeperating telescopic members upon the adjacent ends ofthesections the inner one having at its top a spring catch and the outer. one having a recess to receive said catch, and fulcrums secured to the bot- V toms of the outer members near the middle of the track. 7 7 V ROBERTA. DORRILL.

Witnesses:

HOWARD P.1(ING, V MILDRED in. BRooKs.

O'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Ghmmissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

